Highlights of AAOS 2017

These images offer a great look at a number of highlights from the annual meeting in San Diego.

The 2017 AAOS annual meeting took place in beautiful downtown San Diego where attendees enjoyed a wonderful week of sun and moderate temps. The convention center played host to the event, which provided a fantastic educational opportunity and networking while enjoying the scenic views. Image courtesy of AAOS.

While the event is attended primarily by orthopedic surgeons, both from the U.S. and abroad, it also affords a great opportunity for orthopedic device OEMs to speak with their supply chain partners as these two groups make up the exhibit floor. Surgeons get a glimpse at the potential future of the instruments they could be using in the years to come while instrument developers get new ideas for improvements and new technologies. Image courtesy of AAOS.

ConforMIS Patient Ambassadors are real patients living with a ConforMIS custom knee replacement (or two). They were on-hand at the company’s booth during AAOS to speak with surgeons about their specific experiences. (From left to right, Molly Seaman, Doug Morris, Jack Mccurdy, Tedd Boomershine, and Darvina Heichemer.) You can get more about these patients’ stories at www.thisismyknee.com. Image courtesy of ConforMIS.

To give surgeons the ability to shape their tools to the situations before them, Lenkbar developed a robust, flexible surgical shaft: FlexMetric (US Pat. 8366559). FlexMetric navigates the angles the surgeon desires while retaining the shaft strength the surgeon needs. The technology maintains its shaft strength in either clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation.

Drs. David Blaha, Nicolas Noiseux, and David Backstein look on as NFL Hall of Famer, Terry Bradshaw, provided a Patient’s Perspective at a dinner event held by Microport Orthopedics. Bradshaw recently received MicroPort’s Evolution Medial-Pivot Knee and is extremely pleased with his outcome. The speakers focused on the keys to patient satisfaction. Image courtesy of Microport Orthopedics.

Virtual reality will soon be permeating the healthcare sector as a possible therapy for a number of conditions, including PTSD and depression. On the exhibit floor of the AAOS event, the technology offered attendees the opportunity to view a surgery as if looking over the physician’s shoulder, gain valuable information about a new medical device, or visit a remote facility to see the development of a new technology. Image courtesy of AAOS.

Stryker put on a street party to celebrate the commercial launch of the highly anticipated robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty application for use with its Mako System. The Hollywood-esque event was an entertaining, educational event that gave surgeons an up-close look at the technology. Main image courtesy of Christy Radecic/AP Images for Stryker Orthopaedics. Lower left: The ODT crew hammed it up in front of the Stryker wall during the event.

Surgeons and Stryker personnel were on hand during the after-hours event to demonstrate the Mako system and address any questions guests had.

Carestream demonstrated its OnSight 3D Extremity System that uses cone beam CT (CBCT) technology to capture high-quality, low-dose 3D extremity exams. Unlike traditional CT systems, the CBCT system has a large-area detector that can capture a 3D image of the patient in a single rotation, which takes only 25 seconds. The compact OnSight system can be plugged into an electrical outlet in an exam room and is easily moved into an office. Image courtesy of Carestream.

CoorsTek Medical was offering attendees a look at its line of CeraSurf-p ceramic hip implant components. The company had won a trademark lawsuit that centered around the color pink for the components. The CeraSurf-p ceramic material is engineered with chromium oxide dopants in an advanced ceramic matrix to provide a combination of hardness and toughness—and its inherent pink color is a natural byproduct of the chromium oxide. Lower right image courtesy of CoorsTek Medical.

Orchid Orthopedic Solutions held an after-hours event during which the company bid farewell to its CEO, Mike Miller, who officially retired at the close of 2016. Miller, who still sits on the company’s board, fielded questions from Matt Burba, Orchid’s chief commercial officer (far right) and Orchid VP Joe Zuzula also spoke (top left). Enjoy a well-deserved retirement Mike! Meanwhile, the venue provided a fantastic view of this year’s MPO Summit location—the Marriott Marquis Marina San Diego.

03.21.17By Sean Fenske, Editor

The AAOS 2017 annual meeting had much to offer for those in attendance. For those who couldn't make the trip to San Diego this year, take a look at a few of the highlights from the event in this series of images.